I first attended mass at the Cabrini Church in 1985, at that time the vaunted pre-stressed concrete roof was leaking. The leaks were never fully remediated.
The cross has lain on its side since the storm; none of the preservationists cared enough to get the most visible symbol of the church straightened out.
The Rivergate was destroyed with little fanfare in favor of a casino. The church is proposed for destruction in favor of a school.
FEMA falsely states that the LA SHPO agrees with its conclusion that "the Church is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places." In fact, the SHPO letter listed on the FEMA website states, "it had been our conclusion that a compelling case did not exist to reach across the National Register's 50-year cutoff date to designate this building…in the interest of a speedy conclusion to this process, we will not contest FEMA's conclusion or finding…Furthermore, it is our opinion that the presence of intact National Register eligible archaeological deposits is unlikely."
I am tired of hearing about the "notable architectural firm of Curtis and Davis." They were a private business that got paid handsomely for their work.
The FEMA sources for their conclusion are suspect. They include the works of the architect, letters to a newspaper from an interested person (Arthur Scully) and a non-peer-reviewed article published in at Tulane's Architecture School. This school has benefited substantially from Curtis and Davis contributions over the years. Finally, not one religious can confirm that the information from Vatican II was widely known prior to the design of the building.